Main dish
Königsberger Klopse with Creamy Caper Sauce
Intermediateshared by Nibblore Deutsch
These classic German meatballs are tender, savoury and coated in a velvety sauce brightened with tangy capers and lemon. Gently poaching the meatballs in seasoned stock keeps them juicy, while a pale roux gives the sauce its smooth texture. Serve with boiled potatoes and a simple beetroot salad for a comforting lunch or dinner. • Do not let the stock boil vigorously while the meatballs cook, or they may fall apart and become dry. • Poach a teaspoonful of the meat mixture in the stock and taste it before shaping the meatballs, so you can adjust the seasoning. • If the sauce is too thick, stir in extra poaching stock one tablespoon at a time. If it is too thin, simmer it uncovered for a few more minutes. • Boiled potatoes soak up the caper sauce particularly well, while beetroot adds an earthy, gently sweet contrast. • Use veal mince instead of mixed beef and pork mince for more delicate, milder meatballs. • Replace the day-old roll with 60 g unsweetened white bread with any hard crusts removed. • A mild meat stock can replace the beef stock; if the stock is already heavily salted, slightly reduce the salt in the meatball mixture. • For a lighter sauce, replace the double cream with the same amount of whole milk. Allow leftovers to cool completely, then refrigerate the meatballs and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a little stock if needed; do not boil. Freeze for up to 2 months, although the cream sauce may separate slightly after thawing; defrost slowly in the fridge and whisk well while reheating.
Ingredients
- 1day-old bread roll, about 60 g
- 100 mllukewarm milk
- 1small onion
- 1 tbspbutter
- 500 gmixed beef and pork mince
- 1medium egg
- 1 tspmedium-strength mustard
- ¾ tspsalt
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinchfreshly grated nutmeg
- 1 lbeef stock
- 1bay leaf
- 4juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 6black peppercorns
- 40 gbutter
- 40 gplain flour
- 600 mlhot strained poaching stock
- 100 mldouble cream
- 3 tbspcapers, drained
- 1 tbspcaper brine
- 1 tbspfreshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tspsugar
- ¼ tspsalt for the sauce, as needed
- 2 tbspfinely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- 1Tear the bread roll into small pieces, pour over the lukewarm milk and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and very finely dice the onion, then soften it in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat for 4–5 minutes without browning; leave to cool slightly.
- 2Squeeze the soaked bread roll thoroughly with your hands. Mix the mince, bread, softened onion, egg, mustard, 3/4 tsp salt, ground pepper and nutmeg in a bowl for 1–2 minutes, until evenly combined and cohesive. With damp hands, shape the mixture into 12 meatballs weighing about 55 g each.
- 3Bring the beef stock, bay leaf, juniper berries and peppercorns to the boil in a wide saucepan at least 24 cm in diameter. Reduce the heat until the stock is barely simmering. Carefully add the meatballs and gently poach at 85–90°C for 15–17 minutes without allowing the stock to boil vigorously; the meatballs should be cooked through and reach at least 70°C in the centre.
- 4Lift out the meatballs with a slotted spoon and keep them covered and warm. Strain the stock through a fine sieve and measure out 600 ml for the sauce.
- 5For the sauce, melt 40 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously, without letting it colour. Gradually whisk in the hot poaching stock, mixing each addition until smooth before adding more.
- 6Bring the sauce to the boil, then simmer uncovered over low to medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until creamy and thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. Stir in the cream, capers, caper brine, lemon juice and sugar, then heat gently for another 2 minutes.
- 7Taste the sauce and, if needed, season with up to 1/4 tsp salt and a little more lemon juice. Add the meatballs to the sauce and warm over low heat for 3 minutes without allowing the sauce to boil. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.